Beauty and the Dogs Review: Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2017

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Mariam (Mariam Al Ferjani) is just like every other 21-year-old girl who likes to party with her friends and have some good time. However, in a series of unfortunate events, she gets raped by two policemen and what follows is a gruesome and torturous ordeal of begging for help from the authorities whom you trust the most in such situations.

Background and Story:

Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, Beauty and the Dogs is a harrowing and emotional true story which leaves you with goosebumps. Screened in Un Certain Regard at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, the movie begins with Mariam looking pretty in a dress at a private party held by her university in Tunisia. She soon meets a handsome looking lad, Youssef (Ghanem Zrelli), and sneaks out with him to the beach.

In the next sequence, they show a scared Mariam running on the street with her face in a mess and trembling at the sight of every car passing by. Youssef takes her to a private clinic where it is revealed that she has been raped. However, the hospital authorities refuse to admit or even investigate her without any legal ID proof.

What follows is a bunch of sequences where the two are shown going to the public hospital, two police stations, where they find no one to hear them out. The police authorities push them in every way to waive the statement, but a stubborn and strong Mariam refuses to give in this easily and stands by the truth even in that state of terror.

Why You Should Watch:

Right from the story to the performances and execution – everything in the film is perfectly done to make you feel like a part of the movie. You are left thinking about the suffering every rape survivor has to go through and it leaves you with a feeling of helplessness. If you are one of those who loves watching real cinema and appreciate being shown the truth, you are bound to like this movie. The dark reality will leave you questioning the current state of affairs in your own society.

What You Should Watch Next:

If you missed Beauty and the Dogs, there’s a whole lot of films at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2017 that you could catch. If you’re looking at some serious fiction cinema then head for I Am Not A Witch (Rungano Nyoni) or Zaineb Hates The Snow. The latter is also made by the director of Beauty and the Dogs.